Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor George Panamthundil as the apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, making him the first priest from the oriental Syro Malankara rite to receive this honor.
The appointment of Monsignor Panamthundil as the archbishop of the titular see of Floriana was announced on June 16.
His episcopal ordination is scheduled to take place on September 9, 2023, as stated by Father Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India.
Currently serving as the Chargé d’affaires of the Nunciature in Cyprus, the 51-year-old priest hailed from the Trivandrum Archdiocese in southern Kerala.
Born on May 20, 1972, he belongs to the Saint Mary Queen of Peace Basilica in Palayam, the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. He was ordained a priest on February 18, 1998.
Monsignor Panamthundil holds a degree in Eastern Canon Law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and has been serving in the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See since July 1, 2005.
He has held various positions at the Apostolic Nunciature in Costa Rica, Guinea, Iraq, Austria, and Israel, the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem and Palestine, and the Pontifical Representation in Cyprus.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis appointed Father Louis Mascarenhas as the Bishop of the Allahabad diocese in northern Uttar Pradesh state on June 17.
Father Mascarenhas is currently serving as the administrator of the diocese. He was born on September 29, 1959, in Kelmbet, southern Karnataka, and completed his priestly formation at St. Paul’s Minor Seminary in Lucknow from 1978 to 1981.
He pursued his philosophy studies at St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary, Allahabad, from 1981 to 1984 and was ordained a priest for the Allahabad diocese on April 4, 1989.
Father Mascarenhas has held various roles, including Director of the Diocesan Development and Welfare Society “Jan Hit Sadan” and Principal of St. Joseph’s College, Allahabad.
He later served as the Parish Priest of St. Peter’s Church and Principal of St. Peter’s School. Since 2020, he has been the Director of Nazareth Hospital, Prayagraj, and since 2021, he has also held the position of Diocesan Administrator of Allahabad.
